Although this picture is a cartoon, this article applies to a dangerous condition inside the bodies of both men and women… and this discussion also applies even if you don’t have any digestive problems at all.
Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age are at risk for something called “increased intestinal permeability” A.K.A. leaky gut?
It’s true — as much as 60 Million people in some “westernized” countries such as the US and Canada are now struggling with digestive problems like IBS, Crohn’s, and Ulcerative Colitis.
The first thing that most people think of is that leaky gut is only a problem for people with digestive disease…
However, what most people don’t realize is that leaky gut is not only a stomach issue, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health.
It can masquerade as fatigue, anxiety, depression, digestive symptoms, weight problems, and other serious conditions…
It’s been found in association with chronic diseases, including asthma, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel, kidney disease, psoriasis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and heart failure…
And even with all the latest technology and over 10,000+ research papers on it, this hidden epidemic is still often referred to as the “Disease Your Doctor Can’t Diagnose…”
If you or loved ones are struggling with chronic illness, like my family and I did, this might be the most important thing you’ll ever read.
What Is Leaky Gut?
What it does to you is this: it allows TOXIC food particles, environmental chemicals, and bacterial waste to leak through your digestive tract and into your body – once inside, these foreign particles travel to different areas of your body and trigger an immune response, promoting inflammation and jump-starting the development of chronic disease.
Instead of keeping the bad stuff out, the delicate lining of your intestine is letting all the bad stuff in, and your body is breaking down from the inside out. The real name of this hidden epidemic is: Increased Intestinal Permeability, or “Leaky Gut.”
So yes, in some REALLY general ways you can think about it like your poop is leaking into your body…
But that’s not the scariest thing about it.
Untreated Leaky Gut Is Making People Sick
Here’s a short list of conditions associated with “Leaky Gut:”
- Infertility
- Type 1 diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus
- Vitiligo
- Narcolepsy
- Schizophrenia
- Autism
- Depression
- Huntington’s
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Hypothyroidism
- Porphyria
In fact, now you can put just about any condition into Google along with “Intestinal Permeability” and find hours of research papers associating the two.
Here’s a few examples for those of you who are nerds like me (the link will open a Google search in a new window):
- “Intestinal Permeability and Heart Disease”
- “Intestinal Permeability and Autoimmune Disease”
- “Intestinal Permeability and Irritable Bowel Syndrome”
- “Intestinal Permeability and Inflammatory Bowel Disease”
- “Intestinal Permeability and Acne”
Then there’s Dr. Alessio Fasano’s groundbreaking “Leaky Gut Theory of Autoimmunity” – which suggests that the 100+ Autoimmune Diseases begin with leaky gut. With over 10,000+ published research papers on intestinal permeability, you’d think modern medicine would be talking about it more, but they’re not. If you ask the average doctor, very few have heard about it and those that have still think it’s “quackery.”
Is Leaky Gut Making You Sick?
Leaky gut is a tricky condition. It can show up in every human being in a different way…
It’s not obvious. In fact, only 70% of people with leaky gut have digestive problems. You can even find it in people that “look” healthy.
To put it simply: if you’re struggling with chronic health complaints, you’re at risk for leaky gut.
As you can see in the research above, gut health is important for just about every system in the body, and in turn it can create symptoms and problems in just about every system in the body. So, how do you know if you have it?
There are two common ways to test for Leaky Gut:
- The Lactulose-mannitol intestinal permeability test
- Cyrex Labs “Array #2”
Both tests have their benefits. For example, the Lactulose-mannitol test is commonly used as the gold standard in research settings. The Cyrex panel is possibly a better option to measure the immune response from leaky gut, but both of these tests have inherent unreliability.
It’s like Chris Kresser always says, “Will the test result change the outcome of the treatment?”
In the case of testing for leaky gut, not necessarily. Personally, I think you can save money by instead focusing on your risk factors for leaky gut, which is why we put together a leaky gut risk analysis in this free leaky gut quiz.
Of course, an interactive quiz like this can’t diagnose anything, but it can help you screen for the most important leaky gut risk factors in your life. Education is the best prevention and with this quiz, instead of knowing whether or not you have leaky gut, knowing WHAT risk factors are damaging your gut can help you take the next steps to start fixing it.
How to Stop Your Guts From Leaking
There are three really common leaky gut triggers I’ve seen over the years, when people are still struggling with chronic health problems. The first step in preventing your gut from leaking is to start turning off some of these common triggers.
I’m talking to those “tough cases,” like me, struggling with chronic conditions like: autoimmunity, asthma, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, anxiety, irritable bowel, kidney disease, psoriasis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and heart failure…
If that’s you, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with leaky gut and these three mistakes could be making things worse for you.
Leaky Gut Trigger 1: Eating Holes in Your Gut
If you have leaky gut and you’re still struggling with chronic illness, the 80/20 rule doesn’t fly. Eat gluten on the weekends? Stop it. Occasional beer on a hot day? Stop it. The research is very clear that gluten contributes to leaky gut and when it comes to dealing with serious health problems, there’s no room for a “Cheat Day.”
I get it. I understand it has its place… for healthy people. One day you too might be able to live a happy healthy life with 80/20 healthy eating. But not today.
With leaky gut, there are undigested food particles sneaking right into your bloodstream, which causes the immune system to attack them as foreign invaders. That starts a cascade of inflammation. The autoimmune protocol removes many of the most problematic foods for people with leaky gut, things like eggs, tomatoes & eggplants, peppers including bell peppers and hot peppers, spices such as curries, paprika, and chili powder, and nuts and seeds.
For the majority of us, if we just remove certain classes of foods that are harder to digest, we can begin to reverse leaky gut and hopefully get some relief in the process.
Leaky Gut Trigger 2: Poking Holes in Your Gut with Pills
Who hasn’t reached for an Advil or Motrin in times of pain? I used to get 2-3 headaches a week and carried them around in my wallet. Then, there’s all those aches and pains that follow you home from sports and the gym – those mornings when you wake up and your body is locked up and screaming at you.
The inconvenient truth is: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) cause your gut to leak.
The worst part is MANY doctors prescribe these meds and NEVER tell people what it’s doing to their gut.
Research shows that 50-70% of long-term NSAID users have increased leaky gut and 5 days of prescription use can cause 3x increase in permeability.
If you take NSAIDS, especially the stronger kind that are used to treat autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, you’ll be putting your gut barrier at risk. Immediately talk with your primary care doctor to explore other solutions.
Leaky Gut Trigger 3: Cortisol Rips Your Gut Apart
If we discovered that sleeping more and reducing our stress would make us live forever, I think we’d all still die. I’m sure you’re tired of hearing from Robb and everyone else telling you that you need to get 8 hours of sleep and take a breath, so let’s not beat a dead horse. But here’s the problem: not many people ACTUALLY do it. I’ve struggled with it too and it’s still a focus of mine.
But when you’re sick, it’s the same as the 80/20 diet rule… there’s no room for stress and sleep deprivation if you want to keep your poop where it belongs.
Studies like this are very clear that stress wrecks your gut and makes it leaky. You WILL NOT heal your gut if it’s experiencing chronic stress. Think about it like having a broken bone… we put it in a cast for a reason, so it stays protected and can heal.
But here’s the rub: sometimes stress isn’t what you think. Sure, stress can be emotional, like a crappy job or a bad relationship. But it can also be physical stress, like overtraining. Working out too hard can be extremely stressful on your body if you’re struggling with chronic illness.
If you’re still sick and training for that half marathon, stop for a while.
There’s another hidden stressor we’ve seen in about 80% of our consulting clients: gut infections. Those parasite and bacterial infections are a constant stressor on your body, sometimes just as powerful as guzzling gluten flavored shakes every day.
So, if you’re still sick and haven’t had a stool test yet, do it. I know, pooping in a plastic tube doesn’t sound like a party, but trust me it’s way better than letting a nasty infection live on in your body.
How to Fix Leaky Gut
Rome wasn’t built in a day… and it wasn’t destroyed in a day either.
Your gut isn’t going to heal in a day. If you’re already on a ‘real food diet,’ avoiding NSAIDs, and reducing your stress… but still suspect your poop isn’t staying where it belongs, there’s more work to do.
Like I said, many of us are “tough cases” and we need more than just a healthy diet to heal. Complex problems rarely ever have simple answers. But as humans we like simple ideas, single causes, magic pills and smoking guns. When it comes to leaky gut, there are at least 19 common triggers in the research that can be contributing to your problems.
We cover these triggers and how to fix leaky gut in a free webcast about how to solve leaky gut and reverse chronic illness.
If you need more help healing your gut, start by finding out if you might have it by taking this simple quiz: https://healthygut.com/assessments/leaky-gut/
Hope to see you there,
– Jordan
The Unspoken Forces of Food That Help or Hurt Our Health (Podcast 84)
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I think I’m dealing with leaky gut syndrome I have a lot of these symptoms but haven’t been diagnosed my main problem that I’m dealing with is a bad odor I don’t smell it but every one around me smells it I stepped up my personal hygiene a lot but might’ve just created more problems since I now shower daily and take all sort of medications my skin is dry and the medication might or might not be working I came from a thread that other people say they deal with the same thing but they said it could be a a lot of things but some mention leaky gut other mention fishy odor or ibs and since I’m around people all day it can get really depressing since no one want to be around me because of it and if you read this and you can help me please reply I need help and want to get tested to see if this is the cause of my problems
HI Martin – After reading your history and questions, it sounds like you need a comprehensive program that will address diet, lifestyle, supplements, and root causes. While we are not doctors and can not give medical advice, we have seen many do well with this program that are in your same shoes.
The best place to start is by taking the personalized quiz, which will help you sort through some of your issues and give you direction: http://solvingleakygut.com/quiz/my-health/
Thanks but I think it might’ve found my problem while all the things I mention before are still a problems that I need to deal with and address but my main life changing problem that I wanted to fix was my odor like I said I have great personal hygiene and shower religiously but when I notice that I started haveing the odor not long after I got steph throat and after finding some one who also had a mouth related infection/problem he said that it causes holes in your tonsils and releasing a bad odor which can come from your mouth or nose so just breathing will allow others to smell it
I also on the quiz it said that i have a high risk of having leaky gut so still another problem I need to deal with will be coming back to see for any advice and help
Hi i was use to take nsaid cz of my headaches since my childhood..IN third year of MBBS i got severe headache and 8 to 9 episodes of vomiting relieved only by IM injection of declofenac sodium nd some antiemetic IM..I got headaches nd vomitings every other week relieved by same ER admission nd injections..Vomiting started with sweating on my forehead nd desire to defecate…I was too depress at that time.. I read articles about functional medicine doctors,cz here in pakistan we dont have any functional medicine specialist..Conventional doctors told me to use antianxiety but i did not use..One of my doctor put me on itopride (nogerd)..It cures my vomitings for 4 months,but i got some headaches but not of so severe intensity(usually relieved by paracetamol oral)..Last week i got a very bad headache again nd same episodes of vomitings,relieved by nsaid..I recently eliminate gluten from my diet what should i do more..Kindly guide me..i tested negative for hepatitis,h pylori,or any other problem
Hello and sorry to hear you’re suffering with these headaches. Changing your diet is the first place to start, as inflammation in the body can cause pain. You can read more here: https://healthygut.com/how-to-overcome-chronic-pain-naturally/ andn this will help you get started in the right direction:)
thank u so much
If only I knew about all of these things 20 years ago. Personally, I am really at the end of the road. I am in constant misery. If I eat anything, I get terrible bloating and have terrible stomach pains that can last up to 12-14 hours after eating. This all started about 4 years ago when I started getting terrible stomach pains and really bad gall bladder attacks. I wound up having my gall bladder removed (was told it was literally 100% full of stones and likely would have gone septic and killed me had I kept it in much longer). I felt better for about 3 weeks after the surgury and then the downward spiral continued.
I also have tricuspid valve regurgitation and cirrhosis of the liver due to Hep C (fibroscan rating of 21). I recently was treated with Harvoni and have been at zero for 4 months. 2 more months and I will officially be cured of the Hep C, but its already done damage to my liver. I got it when I was a baby as I needed a complete blood transfusion at birth due to my mothers blood killing mine. Have never really understood that whole thing, but I wound up needing a complete transufusion at day 2 and was first diagnosed when I was 9. I was born in 1971 and unfortunately they didn’t test the blood supply for Hep C back then. Anyways, back to the symptoms I am now dealing with on a daily basis. I am getting headaches pretty much every day, terrible stomach pain and bloating everytime I eat, severe constipation, severe anxiety, burning sensations in my legs and have started getting superficial blood clots in my lower right leg (usually happens on my right shin), tinnitus that has gotten worse and worse, numbness and tingling on the bottom of my feet, misc pains all over my body (pretty much changes by the day), chest pain, palipitations and tachichardia (likely due to my anxiety combined with my tricuspid valve reguritation), I have a terrible time getting sleep, and recently have been gaining weight. I have been at 145 pounds for the last 20 years then suddenly a couple months back I was at 150 when I got weighed at my doctors and then 155 a couple weeks later. I have gone as high as 158 and have dropped back down to 148, likely due to not eating for days on end as that is the only time I feel even remotely ok. I am also suffering from extremele fatigue (I am no longer working) and depression. A simple grocery shopping trip will utterly exhaust me.
I have a primary care doctor, a liver doctor, a heart doctor, a gastrinologist, and even saw an allergist last month and a rheumatologist. Nobody can figure out what is wrong. The rheumatologist was an absolute joke. I am pretty confident that I have some sort of autoimmune condition at this point and everything I have read says they can be very difficult to diagnose. The rheumatologist I saw looked at all of my symptoms (I wrote all of them down as I have so many I usualy wind up forgetting about some of them), did a quick 2-3 minute exam of my body, and told me that he didn’t think there was anything wrong with me that he could help me with. I was really looking forward to that appointment as I thought for sure that a rheumatologist was the one doctor who could help me or at least start to get to the bottom of whats wrong with me. I walked out of that office feeling more depressed than I ever have.
I just had a 2nd upper endoscopy and they took a biopsy of my stomach and small intestine. Both upper endoscopy’s showed a lot of inflamation. The first one, he was sure I had some sort of bacterial infection the inflamation was so bad, but the tests wound up coming back negative. My primary care doctor is currently running tests on my thyroid to make sure those are working properly. Again, I am really at the end of the line. The amount of suffering I have been through in the last 3 years is simply beyond description and I have been to every kind of doctor I know about, have been in the ER more times than I can count, and I am no closer to finding out what is wrong.
My anxiety is one of the worst things I am dealing with right now. I used to get anxiety attacks, but lately I am just in a constant state of anxiety all day long. That leads to chest pain, more palipations, etc.. which leads to more anxiety. Its just a downward spiral. I honestly don’t know how I get through some days. I have completely lose all hope that I will make it through this. All of my symptoms continue to get worse and worse and again, I am no closer to finidng out what is wrong. I had a doctor in one of the ER’s I visit tell me about Leaky Gut like 6 months back. I don’t know if I have leaky gut, autoimmune issues, or both but I have pretty much every symptom that you see with a lot of those autoimmune disorders. Oh yeah, I also got a really bad case of Eczema that popped up a couple years back and its in the worst place possible for a male. I really have no clue what to do anymore.
HI Michael – so sorry you’re dealing with all of this! As a tough case who has already been through so much, we would suggest a trusted functional medicine doctor. It’s really confusing and hard to see all these individual specialists when the body is one unit…all working together and each part affecting the next. If you’d like information on a functional medicine doctor, you can go here: https://healthygut.com/practitioners/
Can leaky gut cause a pins and needles feeling and red pin pricks on your skin? I’ve had Candida Albicans, been battling it for years due to many antibiotics and birth control pills, steroids, etc. I had chronic sinus infections and two sinus surgeries. But still, I have the headaches and chronic fatigue. On days, I have the headaches, my skin doesn’t bother me. When I don’t have the headaches, the skin bothers me. Having a hard time staying on rhe Candida Diet due to the fact I live and cook for others in the household who aren’t on the diet, including a child. Plus it’s time consuming and expensive. I feel better when I last a week. I’ve gone a month before and felt great. I believe the main reason this issue of leaky gut causing all these illnesses isn’t addressed is because of the fact all these companies that make this trash food will suddenly be in financial trouble. Most of what is in the grocery stores is processed garbage. And wouldn’t the pharmaceutical companies be in trouble legally and financially if doctors aren’t pushing all these drugs? Most doctors nowadays are just prescription drug pushers. And wouldn’t they be liable for all the drug pushing too if the real truth came out, that they’re actually causing more illnesses by over prescribing all bunch of harmful drugs? That’s why there’s so much denial from most doctors. No regular doctors admit candida albicans causes problems. I’ve been to many. They all wanted to give me more pills for headaches, etc. If the truth was admitted, food and drug companies would have to completely change. I don’t see that happening anytime soon. There’s too much money involved and too many greedy people.
Hi DJ, we agree. It’s a vicious cycle between the pharmaceutical companies and doctor’s, unfortunately. Here are some resources to help you:
https://healthygut.com/3-anti-candida-diet-problems/ Many thing they can starve candida until it’s gone, but you’re going to need an herbal protocol as well (the article goes into detail). We;ve seen candida cause or be a part of what your experiencing too, by the way:)
Ive had a yeast infection due to strong antibiotics and probably have leaky gut as it has been at least 2 to 3 years since then. Is there a recoup for this problem and how long will it take.
Hello and thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, we can’t answer that part for you, as each person is different and will need a certain amount of time to heal. We try to encourage people to look at the journey and not the end result and keep in the back of your head it took a while to get sick and will do so to get healthy again. THe great news is is diet is super powerful and starting there you should notice some great improvements in a short while.
Many of the leaky gut symptoms can be due to mold sickness. From water leaking in buildings too.
Poverty also causes leaky gut. If you are too sick to work at a regular job, and living on under $1000 per month on social security, have used up your savings on clueless doctors and nutraceuticals that didn’t help, where do you go next? I can’t afford the fees that most naturopaths and non mainstream practitioners charge. So I keep trying the latest method-du-jour that might improve my health. I guess that just how the (gluten free) cookie crumbles.
I am wondering why you don’t recommend the use of Aloe Vera? Thank you
HI Amy – it’s not that the aloe it’s self is bad, we’d just suggest getting to the root cause of the constipation (or any other reason your taking it) Here is an article that explains it more: https://healthygut.com/are-herbal-laxatives-dangerous/
Hello, I just want to thank you for posting this article. Even though I’ve been diagnosed with having leaky gut, the information in this article has confirmed even more so that I do. It’s given me motivation to be stricter on my diet, with NO cheat days! I had a cheat meal last night and now I feel horrible today! Headaches, muscle pain, etc One question though: am I the only one out there who has chronic muscle pain in ONE area of my body only, due to leaky gut?? It’s in the upper right quadrant of my back and shoulder area AND my neck. I know it’s not Fibro because the pain is only in one spot, not the others where Fibro hits you. One other question, with leaky gut, your article mentioned not being able to eat bell peppers and tomatoes. My natural Dr/nutritionist said these are OK as long as they are cooked. I guess cooking it does something to the vegetable that helps you digest them better. Is this true?
HI Rachel – Leaky gut can be a contributor to pain in any area of the body. Peppers and Tomatoes are part of the night shade family and we recommend omitting those for at least 30 days to let the gut heal. You can then test them out later and see how you do. They are easier to digest when cooked, but this doesn’t mean we should eat them just because they are cooked:)
Hello,
I was recently diagnosed with Hashimotos and having a leaky gut. My hair has been thinning and falling out for about 6+ years, I am now 25 years old. I have been gluten free for 8 weeks and am just starting the elimination diet to see what else is causing my stomach issues (constipation, bloating, etc) Do you think solving my digestive/ stomach issues will help with my hair regrowth? Any help/advice would be great! thanks!
HI Kyla! Great question and we’ve seen hair improve as the gut improves. Our hair needs nutrients to grow and be healthy and if nutrietns are not being absorbed due to a leaky gut, we’ll be missing out. Good luck and let us know how it goes:)
I have been suffering from stomach issues such as to much burping,to much of gas in stomac intestines etc,chronic fatigue ,with frequent head heaviness ,numbness and tingling in my hands and legs,to much of anxiety and somewhat of depression and stress,I have been facing this problems fro. 3 years I am to much fed up with this condition I have been tested with endoscopy, ultrasonic,sudden stool test ,thyroid test . everything came normal but still I am facing this condition so is it leaky gut please clear my query … I want to know what am I going through…
Hello Nishant – thanks for reaching out to us. Sorry to hear you’re struggling with your health. we’d highly recommend registering for the webinar and starting your journey back to health – http://solvingleakygut.com/webinar/live-qva/
I have painful arthritis in my feet an aching back and joints especially my hips. I’m sure I have leaky gut because I have been taking NSAIDs twice daily for last 7 years. I have cut out all gluten, dairy and nightshade veg. I eat fish, beef or chicken with loads of veg and some fruit. I use coconut and olive oils. I make my own fermented cabbage and carrots which I eat twice daily. I supplement with Omega 3, vitamin d, msm, glucosamine/chondroitin, curcumin and have just started taking glutamine and digestive enzymes prior to breakfast and supper. Unfortunately I am unable to give up the NSAIDs at this stage due to the pain, but I have reduced the dosage and try to skip a day or two. Will my gut begin to heal even although I’m still using the NSAIDs? I know that they have a huge role in causing the problem but I don’t know what else to do to manage the pain. Mr doctor has prescribed marijuana oil for pain, but do not get any any relief from it, although I am sleeping better. ( it is produced locally in someone’s back yard)
Hi Irma – great questions. Changing your diet is going to play a huge role in allowing the gut to heal so you’re off to a good start there. I’d recommend taking it a step further and following the Leaky Gut diet as well as registering for one of our webinars here: http://solvingleakygut.com/webinar/live/ As for continuing the NSaids – I’d recommend taking them as little as possible. It’s hard to say exactly how much the gut will be allowed to heal while still on them, but your chances are much better if the diet is dialed in.
Are there rules about posting here that I don’t know about? Are external links not allowed? Trying to post information that might help people here and I can’t do it!
HI Bill – posting links about pertinent or helpful information is allowed. Not sure why you’re having trouble with this but you may want to switch browsers and see if that makes a difference.
It’s quite unfortunate and sad to know that leaky gut has the potential to ruin peoples life by causing severe and disabling illnesses, some of which even having the potential to be fatal. I know I commented on this article in August, but I feel it necessary to comment again as I came across it. I’m not sure if leaky gut is the cause of my problems, but I am sadly disabled by a set of illnesses that affect my daily life. I am unable to wash myself, unable to walk more than 50 meters or so, etc. I have many problems, including severe asthma, atopic eczema, seborrhoeic dermatitis, fibromyalgia, adrenal insufficiency, OCD, and about 17 more. These illnesses actually suddenly got worse in 2012 as that is when I became disabled by them. One thing admired about me is that I stay happy and always make people laugh despite always having debilitating symptoms; you’d never think it to look at me (unless times when they are too severe for me to hide them, ofcourse, but I stay happy even then!).
The thing is, we think of these illnesses that I just said I have as “primary” or idiopathic, but they may not be. If leaky gut syndrome is responsible, that would make them secondary to leaky gut, giving people the false belief that there illness is primary or idiopathic, so articles like this are needed to raise awareness and prevent it tricking people. It’s just sad to think that it can ruin lives in the form of causing illnesses that can cause symptoms of severe pain, fatigue, disability, and even death, and my heart goes out to anyone suffering in these ways, and if anyone happens to be reading this that suffers in this way, I would just like to say: my heart goes out to you, and I know how you feel in terms of suffering, but do your best to stay happy and do the things you love, as someone does love you, even if you feel nobody loves you, someone does, more people than you may think. Stay strong.
To the SCDLifestyle team (Jordan, Steve, Mariel, Lori, and everyone/anyone else), I hope you have a wonderful week 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to comment, James. Your perseverance and positive attitude will take you far on your healing journey! We are rooting for you.
Hi! My name is Sherri. I have read this site, taken the quiz, which rated me in the high risk range. I was diagnosed with IBS and diverticulitis at age 27. In my 40’s I was diagnosed with multiple mental health issues including ADHD. I now suffer with horrible carpal tunnel, horrible systemic inflammation, terrible muscle spasms, multiple heart conditions, 13 different back diagnosis, severe sleep apnea and it seems like an endless list of other things including testing for MS(no results yet). I take on average of 25 meds before bed! Some for pain, some for panic disorder, most for mental health, etc. what can I do?! Sometimes I don’t go to the bathroom for up to 15 days! I’ve gone as long as 6 weeks! I feel like I’m falling apart. I’m convinced it’s leaky gut and I signed up for the webinar. Where else can I get information while I’m waiting?
Hi Sherri – we’re so glad you signed up for the webinar!
In the meantime you can learn more here: solvingleakygut.com
Hi Sherri, I hope you are doing okay. I just feel the need to reply to your comment about constipation as I, too, suffer with it. I have IBS so can swing from one to the other but tend to get constipation more often, and it could also be my medication (I have many illnesses (22 to be exact) and medications too). It might be worth taking one sachet of Movicol per day, or you could take more if it doesn’t work but start conservatively. Taking one Senokot at night along-side may also help. Unfortunately, this does mean adding more medication to the list, but if it restores and maintains regularity then it may be worth trying it. Leaky gut is a possible cause, I also wouldn’t be surprised if alot of my problems are related to intestinal permeability, particularly my asthma, eczema, dermatitis, acne, fibromyalgia, GORD/GERD, IBS, and possibly my mood disorders. Together these illnesses cause me symptoms of pain, sometimes excruciating pains; fatigue (extreme tiredness); headaches and migraines; brainfog; nausea and vomiting; constipation and diarrhoea; excessive thirst; frequent urinating; belching; flatulence; hair loss; weight gain; tearfulness; anxiety; irritability; emotional oversensitivity. This list is by no means complete, but if I listed all my symptoms it would crash the system LOL 😀 – However, I try to keep happy and have a good sense of humour, or am told I do anyway, as I believe in staying happy. I hope I helped!
I wish you well and hope you have a great week, and the same for the SCDLifestyle team. Take care everyone 🙂
Just wanted to say that a lot of what I’m reading here sounds like Lyme— especially the seemingly unrelated symptoms. I’ve been through this.
The testing is very inaccurate. You have to find a lyme specialist and get tested through Igenex.
I found this very interesting. Not long ago today I spoke to Mariel about the low stomach acid and autoimmunity/allergies link, and she gave me some good advice. After reading her reply, I decided to view some of the posts about leaky gut syndrome. Cortisol is a big one for ripping your gut to shreds, and I have adrenal insufficiency so I have to take oral steroids to replace the cortisol that my adrenal glands do not produce – I’m not sure if that would also contribute to a leaky gut? Thankfully, I avoid NSAIDs as I am asthmatic. I also think medications – such as antidepressants, anticonvulsants, proton pump inhibitors, beta-blockers, corticosteroids, dopamine antagonists, and many others – can contribute to leaky gut because they can have devastating effects on the digestive system, not to mention leaky gut then being the possible primary cause of other illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, type 1 diabetes, coeliac disease, asthma, Graves disease, and Hashimoto’s disease, as you mentioned. The scary thing is, we think these illnesses are a primary thing, but little do we know that they could be a secondary thing, with leaky gut syndrome being the primary cause, and hopefully this article will bring awareness to many people. Thankyou, Jordan, for doing this. You’re a great inspiration, my friend.
Take care! 🙂
Thanks for your kind and insightful comment James 🙂
Im unable to attend webinar and would like to know about the SCD
From reading the article I’m having a severe case of leaky gut how can you help
Hi Chrissy –
You read more here: http://justforyou.solvingleakygut.com
I would like to be ref to scientific papers that establish “leaky gut” as a real disease and also the evidence establishing your suggestions for diet to heal this condition
Thanks
Peter
Hi Peter – please see our site here for resources (bottom of page) solvingleakygut.com
There are no scientific papers that establish leaky gut as a real disease. Leaky gut means increased intestinal permeability which we know does exist and leaky gut syndrome is something that we believe to exist and that we believe could be a cause of many conditions, including allergies, atopic conditions, autoimmune conditions, and increased susceptibility to infections. So far there is no “proof” simply because doctors and medical professionals refuse to admit that leaky gut exists, but tests must say otherwise as there are tests, such as the lactulose test, that can show positive in those with a permeable intestine and negative in those who don’t, and that to me says that there must be an existence somewhere. However, as for proof or evidence, you won’t find much as it is a “suspected” syndrome due to the refusal of specialists to believe in it. But, like I said, the fact that there are tests that have proven to work and diagnose a permeable intestine is enough proof to me that there is an existence of leaky gut somewhere. Also, specific diets, including the SCD diet, have improved symptoms in many people, suggesting another link.
I hope I helped. Have a good week.
Hi James – sorry but this is NOT correct.
There are plenty of reputable papers, doctors, and western medical experts who understand and accept leaky gut (increased intestinal permeability).
Some of the best research comes from Dr. Alessio Fassano. Here is just one paper you might be interested in checking out: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16265432
Okay, I have clearly misunderstood research. This is just what my gastroenterologist said to me, and also many of my doctors have told me “leaky gut syndrome is a fantasy illness”, which I disbelieve as I believe it exists. Because of this, I assumed there was no proof of the syndrome and presumed that was the reason they were telling me this, and I assumed it then turned into a “does it, or doesn’t it?” type of thing, atleast in the UK.
Please accept my deepest apologies. Have a good day.
No need to apologize!! Up until fairly recently, many people did not accept leaky gut as a real issue. (Just like MANY other diseases were not accepted as genuine issues for years and years). Luckily science is catching up to what people have been experiencing 🙂 Glad to have you here James!
I am better! It took a month of sticking to the diet but I am back to more balance. Watch out for Chia !!
Woohoo! So glad you’re feeling better MaryAnn 🙂
Sorry to double post but I don’t see my comment.
Does anyone have any suggestion for recovering from 1 cup of chia seeds. I did not know they were illegal, nor that they inflate 27 times. I ate 1 cup in 1 cup coconut milk, and still feel full and sluggish 1 month later. I was in perfect SCD balance and such benefits after doing the diet (no dairy however) for two years. The first three days were horrendous, and though every day is getting a little better, I am so afraid to have caused a blockage because I have pencil stools and would like to do something to make sure I get the chia all out.
Hi MaryAnn, it’s okay to comment twice 🙂 Then we can offer you double the support! We’re so sorry you’re struggling right now. The best advice we can offer is to get plenty of rest and stick to your safe zone foods. If you start struggling with constipation you can use some of the tips here: https://healthygut.com/category/constipation/
If you need more support, you can always email us too: support@scdlifestyle.com
Hope you’re feeling much better soon!
Hi, I’m finding all the information that you are sharing to be very interesting. I have lupus, aps and have had 2 episodes of cerebral vasculitis. Along with cutting out gluten would you advise aloe Vera gel to drink? I’ve read mixed reviews
Hi Sarah – thanks for commenting. We don’t recommend aloe vera gel. We do have a ton of recommendations for diet, lifestyle, and supplements to help heal your gut. The best way to learn more is to register for a free Solving Leaky Gut webinar – http://solvingleakygut.com/webinar/internal-autoimmune/
In this webinar we’ll discuss the leaky gut-autoimmune connection and how you can achieve better health overall by healing your gut – and exactly how to do it.
I hope this helps!
I am glad that you specifically named elevated cortisol levels and NSAIDs as things that damage the gut. From what I know, it is also worth mentioning that the hormones in birth control pills could play a major role in the leaky gut syndrome for many women. Women probably know that these pills have hormones in them, but they may be (consciously or unconsciously) ignoring the possibility that “The Pill” might make them sick.
Hi Liz, thanks for your comment! You might be interested in this podcast if you have questions about female hormones and gut health: https://healthygut.com/pcos-pms-and-feeling-like-a-woman-again/